Big upgrade contract for Wharehine

 

The NZ Transport Agency has awarded the contract to upgrade Warkworth’s State Highway 1/Hudson Road intersection to local infrastructure firm, Wharehine Group.

Work on the $3.5m contract, which forms the next stage of SH1/Warkworth improvements, is due to start at the end of April and scheduled to be completed before Christmas.

The NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland, Tommy Parker, says the successful bid by Warkworth-based Wharehine has a number of benefits.

“Its proposal not only demonstrated value for money and its ability to deliver high quality construction, it also demonstrated the group’s longstanding connection and passion for Warkworth and the Rodney region. The group knows the environment and community well and there’s the added advantage of the company being able to utilise its local quarry for materials.”

Wharehine’s Managing Director, Rob Gibson, says Hudson Road is an important local infrastructure project and one that his team will be proud to build.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to construct a major highway project within our community and look forward to completing the project to our usual high standards,” Mr Gibson says.
The upgrade includes installing traffic signals at the intersection, improving access between SH1 and Hudson Road and the Warkworth Showgrounds, intersection widening, left-turn slip lanes (where drivers  give way instead of having to stop at the lights), and improving access for walkers and cyclists.

The Warkworth/State Highway 1 programme is a combined NZTA and Auckland Transport project to improve the SH1 intersections in the town. In addition to Hudson Road, the project includes improving the Hill Street and SH1 and SH1 and McKinney Road intersection connections. The Woodcocks Road and SH1, Whitaker Road and SHI intersection improvements were completed at the end of 2010.
 

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